Osu Traditional leaders urged to establish land secretariat

The chief and elders of Osu were on Tuesday educated on the need for the establishment of a Customary Land Secretariat (CLS) to help mitigate land disputes and litigations.

Maame Ama Edumadze-Acquah, Greater Accra Regional Stool Lands Officer made the observation when addressing the traditional leaders at a Land Administration Project Two (LAP II) sensitization programme at the Osu Mantse Palace in Accra.

The Osu Paramount Chief, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, had sought assistance from the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to set up a CLS at the palace.

Maame Edumadze-Acquah said the people of Osu should take advantage of the CLS and the Customary Boundary Demarcation (CBD), under the LAP, to protect their lands from unscrupulous people.

She said the establishment of the CLS would assist in proper record keeping of lands and other customary-related issues of the traditional area and also to make people aware of where to seek rightful and accurate information about their lands and custom.

Maame Edumadze-Acquah gave the assurance that her office would cooperate with the traditional authorities to train the officers of the Secretariat in management and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Mr Daniel Ayisi, former Director of Town and Country Planning, who also facilitated the meeting, told the gathering that, it has been a long cherished dream of Nii Kinka Dowuona, since he was enstooled seven years ago, to have the CLS to assist in the development of the traditional area.

He said: “Looking at the faces of the prominent personalities at this short notice of the meeting shows how committed they were to work together in unity and in peace to move the traditional area forward.”

Mr Isaac O. Yeboah, an officer from the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, urged them to take advantage of the services of the CBD of LAP to know exactly their boundary lines.

Mr Dickson Agboga, also of the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands called on the traditional leaders to use the facility, Ascertainment and Codification Law Project (ACLP) of LAP, to undertake research into their customary laws and documentation.